Banana Split

POSITIVES…

  • There are some fresh fun to be had in this charming story, especially considering the derivative nature of your typical teenage girl coming-of-age comedy movie.

  • Has an excellent opening montage that sets up the story.

  • This has some enjoyable comedic situations that can only be had with this movie’s fascinating premise.

  • The dialogue here are also fun to listen to, and written in that hyper realistic way, that you wished you could have talked like that when you were a teenager.

  • The back and forth verbal exchanges that Hannah Marks’ April has with Addison Riecke’s Agnes in this movie entertained me to no end.

  • I appreciated the fact that this movie was not afraid to embrace it’s expletive-laden language and dirty jokes.

  • A lot of what makes this movie an enjoyable watch is because of the two acting leads; Hannah Marks and Liana Liberato. The chemistry they have together is just spot on.

  • Has a good pace and narrative. All in a tight 84 minutes.

  • Gotta love the overall thematic messages and lessons that this movie has.

  • Soundtrack is pretty awesome too.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s a teenage girl coming-of-age story. It’s not that new. Expect the cliches, familiar plot tropes, and the general predictability of it all.

  • Yes, once again we have twenty-somethings playing high school kids.

  • Watching teenage angst and raging hormones will probably cause some people to roll their eyes a lot.

  • Dylan Sprouse doesn’t really add too much to this movie besides his looks.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On VIDEO ON DEMAND

Spenser Confidential

POSITIVES…

  • As a reimagining of the Robert B Parker created characters, I thought it had some good ideas to modernize this franchise.

  • There’s a comfortable entertaining familiarity to this kind of crime mystery story, and the simplicity of the narrative.

  • The ensemble cast made this movie for me, and how they interacted with each other.

  • I got on board with Mark Wahlberg’s take on Spenser. Winston Duke was cool enough for me as Hawk. Alan Arkin is Alan Arkin, ‘nuff said. However I got to hand it to Iliza Shlesinger for stealing every scene she is in, with this energetic performance of hers.

  • Running gag about punching. I liked that.

  • The Batman joke. I loved that.

  • Dogs in this movie. Fun scenes.

NEGATIVES…

  • You’ve seen this kind of movie before. It’s derivative. It’s cliche. It’s nothing special at all.

  • Those looking for an action packed movie will probably be disappointed.

  • There’s a particular set up to the premise of Spenser’s background story that could have used more explanation than what was given.

  • So much lazy writing and plot conveniences during the final act.

  • Dustin Tucker’s acting as Federal Agent Fingle. What the hell was that?!

  • Purists will complain that this reimagining is an insult to Robert B Parker’s characters.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On NETFLIX

After Midnight

POSITIVES…

  • The mixing of the romantic angle in the story, with the “there’s a monster out there to get you” plot, and the thematic structure of what it all means together, is an effective narrative that I liked.

  • I admire tackling the monster movie genre with a low budget. I like observing creative ways of not relying too much on expensive special effects.

  • Kudos to Jeremy Gardner for doing a lot of acting by himself a good chunk of the time. He also has a well done monologue to showcase his talent.

  • Supporting actress Brea Grant shines during a particular one-take dialogue scene between her and Gardner.

  • "Stay (I Missed You)" scene.

NEGATIVES…

  • Honestly didn’t really get going until about the time Henry Zebrowski’s character showed up.

  • Some people would argue that it never got going…

  • Pacing could be a little bit faster, and it’s just simply boring at times.

  • Doesn’t exactly pack enough of a punch to really keep my interest.

  • Tries to add some levity, but I don’t think it was as effective as they should have been.

  • Even at just about 83 minutes, it was much longer than it needed to be.

  • "Stay (I Missed You)" scene.

P.S….

loveditenjoyeditlikedititsokay IT’S MEH itsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On HOOPLA

El Hoyo (The Platform)

POSITIVES…

  • This is an amazing story to experience. Engaging. Exhilarating. Terrifying. Concerning. I was hooked, hooked, hooked!

  • One of the most compelling films about a dystopian future, with an absolute barrage of symbolisms and allegories coming at you one after the other.

  • The dialogue between the characters are all food for thought as well, and were fascinating to listen to. “Obviously.”

  • There’s a lot of provoking ideas to unpack here. Lessons that should be learned.

  • This is one of those movies that will make you ask “what would I do if I was in their place?” I love these kinds of premises.

  • Plot turns and plot reveals were done really well, and kept me on the edge of my seat, awaiting to see what happens next.

  • Speaking of being on the edge of my seat. That last act was a roller coaster of “how are they going to pull this off?”

  • Pacing is excellent. With the narrative being just a tight 94 mins.

  • Visually simple, but perfectly displays the oppressive and hopeless situation that our protagonist got himself into.

  • Kudos to the cast for being great in this. Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Alexandra Masangkay, and Emilio Buale.

NEGATIVES…

  • There were a couple of what I believe were legitimate plot holes that kinda bugged me. Don’t expect everything to be explained.

  • The symbolisms and allegories could arguably be a little too on the nose.

  • Some conveniences in plot and character changes kinda cheapens the overall impact of the story a little bit.

  • One of the characters made a decision that really pissed me off. It was distracting me from completely enjoying the movie.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On NETFLIX

Uncorked

POSITIVES…

  • The familiarity to this Father-Son story has that nice comfortable feeling for a family drama that I appreciated. It knows what it is, and it does it really well. Kudos to Writer-Director Prentice Penny.

  • While the story feels derivative, this movie isn’t above changing things up and subverting expectations, that it kept me engaged all the way until the end. I actually wanted more, by the time the credits hit.

  • Speaking about changing things up. The premise is about the son wanting to be a Sommelier! How often do you see movies about that subject matter?! That in itself also kept my interest quite a bit.

  • Excellent cast here, with solid performances by Mamoudou Athie as the Son, Courtney B. Vance as the Father, and the scene-stealing isn’t-she-just-fantastic-in-this Niecy Nash as the Mother.

  • I really enjoyed the interactions and the dialogue among the characters. A lot of that felt authentic enough for me, which really brings these characters to life, and got me truly invested with what happens to them.

  • There’s a scene that demonstrates some of the clever writing this film has, when different types of wines were compared to several hip-hop artists.

  • I really liked the themes and lessons learned in this story. You’ve heard them before, but this film is a wonderfully charming way of telling it to us again. People need to be reminded.

  • As somebody who isn’t much of a wine connoisseur, I learned things here about wine that opened my eyes as to why some people can be so into the art of tasting it. I don’t even like wine all that much, but I kinda want to go get a bottle now, which is quite the achievement that this movie was able to accomplish.

NEGATIVES…

  • Despite some tweaks to the tropes, it’s still a very familiar and conventional feeling story that you’ve seen before, and you may just very well dismiss the whole thing for that.

  • On that note, it still has those big cliches you come to expect too, which shows some of the derivativeness to the story.

  • There’s a plot reveal in the movie involving one of the primary supporting characters that I felt like was a manipulative cheat, that just didn’t feel earned.

  • It takes chances, but it never truly feels like it goes for big bold changes that will blow your mind.

  • The movie also has a very relaxed pace, narrative, and plot progression, that some people might get bored with, and may make the 104 minutes run-time feel even longer.

P.S…

lovedit ENJOYED IT iikedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On NETFLIX

Horse Girl

POSITIVES…

  • Without a doubt, Alison Brie is phenomenal in this. She really goes all out and throws everything into the weird awkward and confused woman that is her character Sarah.

  • The premise and plot direction of this movie should be ideal for those who like weird, bizarre, and purposefully confusing mysterious stories. I know I found it fascinating.

  • With it’s interesting plot turns and reveals, I couldn’t help but be engaged enough to want to see how it all concludes.

  • There were some excellent cinematography and artistic choices for some scenes that really stood out visually.

  • Knowing the actual themes that this story is based on, makes me appreciate the movie’s overall ambitions in trying to put all that on film.

NEGATIVES…

  • This movie is going to be too odd and off kilter for most people.

  • This movie’s story can get much more darker and disconcerting for most people as well.

  • This movie might just frustrate you or bore you, if you think the plot turns and reveals are nonsensical. Because they kinda really are.

  • The movie’s ending wasn’t exactly much of a pay off to reward you of your time either.

  • This movie is also what one might say is “not really a fun watch.”

P.S….

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On NETFLIX

Vivarium

POSITIVES…

  • Weird. Creepy. Mysterious. Nightmarish. Kafkaesque. I appreciate this movie’s attempts to put me through the wringer.

  • The tone and feel of this film is like the Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. So if you like those two shows, maybe this is going to be worth watching for you.

  • It’s not afraid to introduce some horror elements to keep the suspense and thriller aspects going.

  • Imogen Poots as Gemma and Jesse Eisenberg as Tom were solid in this together, but it’s Poots’ character Gemma that’s really strong and grounds this film.

  • I liked the little small charming moments between the two leads.

  • With a story as bizarre and suffocating as this is, the film succeeded in making me feel really invested with what happens to Gemma and Tom.

  • The premise is oddly like self-quarantining and social distancing in many ways. At least if you watch the movie with that in mind, it’ll probably make things more interesting.

NEGATIVES…

  • Felt like the movie was too long, even at 98 mins.

  • There will be people complaining about how the story concludes.

  • Elements of this movie will probably annoy you.

  • If you are somebody who gets impatient, then this might not be the movie for you.

  • It’s hard not to feel frustrated with this movie, as the sense of wanting to decide things for the characters is just too hard to resist.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On VIDEO ON DEMAND

Big Time Adolescence

POSITIVES…

  • As a coming-of-age story, I genuinely feel like there’s merit to watching this if you are a teenager.

  • There’s also merit in watching this, if you are a twenty-something, still trying to grasp adulthood.

  • There are certain discussions, situations, and characters, in this film, that you might find familiar in your own real life. You’ll likely find something to relate with here, and it will keep you engaged to see where the story goes.

  • Griffin Gluck is good as Mo, and is a solid protagonist that we can sympathize with. You’ll only want what’s best for the guy.

  • Pete Davidson is arguably too perfectly believable playing Mo’s slacker several years older best friend Zeke. Great work by Davidson here. It’s like he really gets his character. Was that a backhanded compliment? :-D

  • Jon Cryer as Mo’s Dad. He’s really good in this movie. Loved all the scenes he was in.

  • As one of the best young actresses around, Oona Laurence steals every scene she is in as Sophie. Fantastic work by Laurence here.

  • Shout out to Sydney Sweeney as Holly. Charming and delightful as heck.

  • I enjoyed the creative themes for the parties featured in this movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • Considering the very slacker deadbeat characters that are very prevalent in this movie, it took me a while to warm up to the story. You might just find several of these characters annoying and hard to put up with.

  • It also took some suspension of disbelief to buy some elements of the story’s premise.

  • Not exactly the most unique coming-of-age story around. Has your derivative plot turns, cliche moments, and convenient situations.

  • Felt like the whole movie should have been more memorable than it actually is.

  • Definitely needed more Oona Laurence, and Sydney Sweeney. Definitely.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On HULU

Blow The Man Down

POSITIVES…

  • As a crime thriller, this one can be a lot of fun.

  • There are several plot turns and reveals that keep the story moving. They should hook you enough to want to find out how it all concludes.

  • This movie revolves around this strong ensemble cast of colorful characters, located in this small Maine fishing town, and the feeling of familiarity really gives a nice atmosphere and intimate tone to the whole thing.

  • Kudos to the solid cast! Sophie Lowe, Morgan Saylor, Meredith Holzman, June Squibb, Will Brittain, and…

  • …Margo Martindale. As expected she is great in this, and steals the movie from everyone.

  • The sea shanty songs that act as chapter breaks were delightful to listen to.

NEGATIVES…

  • The pacing might be too slow for some people.

  • It’s got this whole low budget indie vibe to it that also might not grab some people’s attention.

  • Probably could have used just a little bit more something something to make this little movie more memorable than what it already is.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Watch It Now On Amazon Prime Video

Freaks

POSITIVES…

  • I know it’s just right there for you to click on but DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER!!! If you managed to not read into or watched the promotional trailer for this, then this will come off as a fun wild ride of “wait, what’s going on?”

  • If you’re a fan of genre movies, sci-fi, horror, drama, comic books, etc… then this is something you really should check out.

  • One of the main draws is how there are so many plot turns in this movie, as it likes to keep you on your toes on the direction of the story.

  • It’s mysterious. It’s suspenseful. It’s creepy. It’s thrilling. It’s exciting. It’s overall very engaging, as you’re going to want to see what happens to the characters.

  • For a low-budget film, there were some impressively creative and spectacular ways of doing the special effects.

  • This has a good final act that rewards your time seeing through the whole movie.

  • Kudos to the strong performances by Emile Hirsch, and Bruce Dern, but it’s Lexy Kolker as Chloe that’s simply amazing and is the true heart of this movie that keeps you completely invested.

NEGATIVES…

  • If you have prior knowledge of what the movie is about, there is a sense of frustration and impatience putting up with how the story takes it’s time with the reveals that you probably want to already get to immediately.

  • Actually, even if you don’t have prior knowledge going in, that build up into the reveals might still get you frustrated and impatient. I suppose if you don’t like mysteries, then this might not be the movie for you.

  • Can these plot turns be considered manipulative to the audience? Maybe. Depends on your point of view.

  • Despite the freshness that this movie has, the general plot isn’t exactly devoid of relying on plot tropes, cliches, and generally derivative story ideas. There’s definitely a franchise out there that will get a direct comparison to this movie.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch It Now On NETFLIX